If you can review a lengthy wine list without confusion, you will seem cosmopolitan. There is much to discover in the world of wine, but this article can be your guide. So, keep reading to learn more about wine.
Bring along your wine resources with you to the store. There is so much information on wine out there, and bringing along different source materials can help you make better choices. Items like brochures, magazines, books, and websites have great information to pick the best wine for your plans.
Consider purchasing a wine from a lesser-known region of the world. While everyone gravitates toward wines from France or California, there are great varieties to be found most everywhere! You might find a lovely red wine in North Carolina or a never heard winery in Australia. Give a few a try, and enjoy the variety, they bring to your table.
When storing wines, you should make sure they reach a temperature of 57 degrees. This is the best temperature to serve a wine, but you might want to chill your white wines or let your red wines warm a little by simply placing the bottle on the table half an hour before your meal.
You can make amazing pairings with your favorite wine. For example, you can pair a Chardonnay with either Gouda or Provolone. For stronger cheeses, such as Cheddar, opt for a Cabernet such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Cabernet Franc. Zinfandel wines go beautifully with the more delicate cheeses such as Feta and Gouda.
When serving wine for parties, open the Merlot and Cabernet a half hour before the party starts. This will allow the wine to make contact with the air and start “opening up.” As reds are exposed to the air, oxygen allows the tannin and flavors to activate and become more robust.
Be mindful of wine experts and what they say, yet also take their considerations with a grain of salt. A wine expert always knows they may be wrong. In addition, remember that everyone has a different palate. Do not take their word as gospel.
Find someone who can help you identify wines to try. This can be either a merchant who earns your trust through good recommendations, or a wine expert who seems to have a palate close to your own. Their ideas can keep you trying new wines without just picking bottles randomly.
The real flavor of wine comes from the smell. Smell makes up about 90% of the overall taste of wine. The key to bringing this out in the wine is oxygen. When you pour a glass of wine, swirl it in the glass. This allows the wine to mix more readily with the oxygen around it, thus enhancing the flavor fully.
If you enjoy storing wines in your home, consider investing in a small wine cooler. Wine coolers are meant to keep the temperature of the bottles around fifty five degrees, which is considered the ideal temperature for wine. They are relatively small, inexpensive and can even add a decorative touch to your kitchen, dining room or living room.
If you are entertaining guests, you should choose the wine you serve in function of the meal you prepared. A Sauvignon, a Merlot or a white Zinfandel is an excellent choice if you are serving beef, but you should choose a Pinot or a Cava if you are having seafood.
Go to wine tasting events. This is a great way to discover wines that you will love without purchasing a whole bottle to see how much you like it. Many times wine cellars and wineries offer wine tasting as part of their tours. Wineries are a great vacation destination, and you can bring home a souvenir bottle.
When stocking your wine collection at home, opt to purchase experimental bottles before buying full cases. With such a vast number of different wines out there, you want to expose yourself to as many wines as possible before committing to a case. Keep your collection full of ‘educational’ bottles.
Always know which wines are seasonal. Throughout the year, different wines may increase in popularity depending on the holiday or season. Port wines are an excellent example of this, as they tend to increase in price in the weeks leading up to Christmas. When you know wines by their seasons, you can purchase them off-season and save.
Sake is a wine often overlooked by wine drinkers. The Japanese Sake is a favorite wine amongst those who prefer a unique taste. Sake is good with all types of food like appetizers, entrees and desserts. A robust sake is great paired with stir-fry.
If you are paying top dollar for your meal, you may feel the need to order the cheapest wine on the menu. However, waiters often know that customers don’t want to appear cheap by ordering the cheapest wine. Often times, they’ll simply recommend the wine that is next to cheapest. Stick with your first choice since it is sure to be delicious as well.
You should always store your wine while it is resting on the side. This is because it keeps the wine in contact with the cork. When the cork of a wine gets dry, it may cause a gap that allows air into the bottle, which may cause your wine to spoil.
If possible, buy your wine from small vineyards run by the same family from generation to generation. Larger vineyards usually care about earning high profits and selling to a large public while smaller vineyards will put the authenticity and the unique flavor of their wine first. You will often get better prices too.
As mentioned before, understanding wine is a good way to impress others. Put the ideas in this article into play and use them when dealing with wine. In no time, you will be a wine connoisseur.
